Salvage
by corner-shadow
Summary: If there was such a thing as mercy, even amongst the angels there would be no grief. For those that were lied to, their existence should be nothing more than a story.  First fanfic   o   please be kind *includes OC
1. Chapter 1

**The Story behind the Story**

To judge, one first has to be judged. That is the saying most commonly heard amongst the whispering youths in Asgard. Without a doubt, the most terrifying event in any angel's life would be the Presentation.

It is true that grim angels where born form the bodies of the fallen gods, however, not all of them were worthy to bear the divine burden, the Diviner. Yet even among equals there would be exceptions. They who soared in the sky with wings as light as a breath, and stained in the darkest night. These were the chosen executors of the divine will of heaven. Distinguished by their hair like starlight and icy eyes, so cold, so piercing, their gaze is often likened to a steel blade.

They were the product of Ragnarok. Weapons fashioned by the magi when all hope was lost. They were meant to be a last resort, if the demons had penetrated the holy fortress of Asgard. These beings had indeed fulfilled their purpose, and salvaged everything they could from the wreckage left by the rampaging demons.

Those were the dark days. 777 lives were lost that day, before the new advent had taken place. The ravaged sprites could easily recover their way of life after the Ragnarok, however angels are far more complex. They were dying. And they knew it. Much of their sanctuary was destroyed, their history wiped clean. The magi decided to take action, salvaging carcasses and billowing feathers, melting down weapons into oricalhon. This was how they were born, from their fallen comrades.

Nothing can truly die in Asgard. Neither did any of the lives lost in the war merely disappear to another existence. Lives, bodies, weapons were salvaged and reborn in a new form. The Black Executors who guarded the heart of Asgard. They are Salvage.

However, some regained memories of past lives and were driven mad by ghosts that they never knew. They were defective and thus had to be terminated immediately. There always was a fear that they would escape and slaughter the innocents. To abate this problem, the Salvages were placed on leashes, with one placed under each of the seven magi. While they were docile, they were the most prestigious warriors and magicians.

Yet, if the magi pushed the bounds of his power too far…


	2. Chapter 2

**Memories in the Night**

Burning, the acrid stench of smoke that penetrated the cool night. Feet pounded and banners flew all over the village in the erratic air current. The air feels still tonight, thought Serene, as she prepared her own robe for the festivities.

The Festival of the Moon took place in the courtyard of Lacrima Castle. Already the bonfire was blazing heartily, casting shadows of the dancing Arcs on the stone paved courtyard. Tonight, everything felt so welcoming, just like the hearth at home. Pots of spices lined the hallways, filling the air with sweet aromas. Serene spotted her brother by the cinnamon, A lone figure poking at the ground with a stick. She flew over in a haste, nearly knocking over a pot of boiling stew.

"Hey! Watch it!" a man shouted, followed by a few choice curses. Serene couldn't help suppressing a grin as she landed neatly beside her brother, who was now sniffing at some ferns.

"How's the theory of life coming along?" she asked merrily. Her brother gave a start and landed on his butt, hard.

"It's alright." He said, rubbing his sore spot. "Actually I thought I would take a break from my –ahem-intensive research tonight. I was really just curious."

"About?" Serene prompted, but he just shrugged. "C'mon, the feast is almost ready. Race You!" she shot off.

"Wait! I think I fractured a wing." He turned around again to see Serene already beckoning him from the massive pot emitting delectable smells. He sighed again, wishing he could have gotten a younger sister who was less…like a brother. Not that I don't love her or anything he thought as he plodded over to her side. I want to make her first Festival perfect.

Serene's head was far away from Rosalina Island and the Festival. She gazed at the night sky wistfully, wishing she was high above Riviera instead of on its soil.

"Hey! The chief is speaking!" mutters spread through the throng of bodies as Serene squeezed in closer to her brother for a clearer view of the speaker.

The chief was a podgy man, well advanced in his many years, yet still as benevolent and calm as always. Serene thought of her own mother constantly shouting at her and her brother to wash up, get inside and eat. She chuckled, drawing glares from several adults. Tonight was an important night in every Arc's life. It was the day of maturity, where children became adults. Her brother had had his two years ago, That was without a doubt an eventful year indeed. That year, someone had decided to release the fireworks early. Her brother swore his patch of scalp never recovered his healthy black crop of hair.

"Greetings brethren, I welcome you again to the home of our ancestors. Tonight is the night when the Arcs first arrived in this peaceful utopia many moons ago. Despite the tough times and the many moonless nights we have gone through, we have always been bound together by our mother, who watches us from the sky. Ostracised we may be, however never let us forget that the most important things are closed off from the peering eyes of others. Let us hold on to it for now and for the rest of our existence." He finished with a cough, then another purposefully enacted wheeze, just for the sake of it. As he stepped off the podium, adults began running around, ushering children towards a separate space allotted to them while the participants in the dance prepared for the festivities.

"Hope the sky clears up soon." Her brother murmured under his breath. Serene couldn't help wondering what had happened to the clear night just seconds before.

She twisted her token, a star shaped pendant carved out of wood by their father for her first dance, and anxiously joined in the line. Then the music started and they took off into the air.

The dance was choreographed to tell the history of their ancient race, from the time of the Dark Days to the present, with each new generation of Arcs adding their history in each year. Serene couldn't help admiring the grace of the synchronized bodies twirling in the night. Finally it was her turn.

For a few minutes, everything disappeared. All that mattered was that she was up in the sky, with the moon, the beautiful moon, dancing with her in the glorious night. Truly magical, she thought as the ring of youths landed.

Now for the passing of rights. Serene scanned the crowd until she found her mother walking towards her, carrying a tiny glass filled to the brim with water. She carefully received with both hands from her mother and tried to hold still while she walked in line behind friends and neighbours to the moon lily garden. One by one the young arcs watered their respective lilies, and gently claimed a moon drop from its quivering petals.

They said that is you watch the forming moon drop, you can see your future under that very moon. Serene eagerly dipped the water over the flower, and watched with abated breath as the resplendent jewel began to form in the flower's center. Something was wrong, by now she should have seen her future in that pearl like jewel, but it was empty. Her heart sank. Did this mean that she would have no future?

She retrieved her own jewel and slid it into her waist pouch. She could feel tears forming in her eyes just like the jewel forming in the flower…

Why? She wanted to cry at the moon. Why? Why?

Just as she rubbed her eyes, she suddenly collided with someone. Yelping out in shock Serene took a few steps back. "I'm sorry!" she muttered. However the pale, cloaked stranger didn't seem bothered by her clumsiness. "What a lovely moon." The stranger whispered in a soft voice.

Serene shook her head and walked away, stumbling into the paths of several others, before an arm shot out of the crowd and pulled her by the arm.

"There you are!" her brother cried. "Quick we have to get out of here." Serene blinked as if she hadn't understood what he had said. "The air, it's too still. Something's wrong tonight." There was real urgency in his voice. As the others sauntered around merrily, Her brother brought her back up into the castle, deeper and deeper until they arrived at the top of the tower, where the accursed was sealed.

The accursed had been sealed many moons ago by the advocates from Asgard, and have been guarded for many moons now by the Arcs. Normally a guard would be posted at all times, however, that night being the festival, the room was left unguarded. Nothing ever happened anyway.

Her brother pushed unlocked the door with a simple incantation, before entering the chamber with her trailing behind. He then set about placing enchantments of protection around the door. Few Arcs had magical abilities, her brother was one of them. As he paced around the room, Serene gazed down at the tablet set in place to seal in the Accursed. Thousands of Arc scholars had tried and failed to translate the tablet from the ancient script of the gods. The strange symbols boggled Serene's mind, and she was in no mood to attempt configuring it now. After a moment, she became aware that her brother had asked her a question.

"What?' she asked groggily.

"I said what did you see in the moon drop." He repeated as he sat down behind the tablet. Serene went over to join him.

"I don't know" she said resignedly, pulling the moon drop out of her waist-pouch. " There wasn't anything in it went I looked. Her brother leant over and examined the jewel.

"Lemme have a look at it."

Serene placed it in his palm without a word. Her brother looked at it thoughtfully. After a few seconds he grunted in satisfaction. "I guess so." He said to no one in particular.

"Don't let it bring you down." He said, patting her on the head encouragingly. Then his arm slipped around and grabbed her pendant dangling next to her thigh.

"Ah-ha!" he cried. "Give it back you idiot!" Serene exclaimed with a laugh. Soon they were both keeled over with laughter. Her brother was odd by all accounts, but at least he could cheer her up without fail.

"Just because you can't see anything, doesn't mean that you have no future right? Maybe in a different place, in a different time you can find your greatness." Serene blinked. She never thought of it that way before.

"Anyway, I just panicked. Thought something was going to happen tonight. I'm glad I'm wrong for once-" the door opened quietly, her brother ducked lower, so that the tablet concealed himself, Serene instinctively concealed herself beside him.

The hinges creaked a little as the intruder pushed its way into the chamber. As one cloaked foot landed on the threshold, all the traps sprang alive. Glowing symbols embedded into the walls released huge waves of energy, Serene could feel her own strength being sapped away by her brother's spells. However this did little to deter the uninvited guest.

One swing of its cloak deflected all the pulsing waves of energy. It flew across the room, towards her brother who was already chanting counter spells. To the credit of her brother he avoided the lethal missile a split second before it slashed through the air, leaving a long ragged gash in his shirt.

"Run!"

Serene bolted out the door just as the creature turned to her, only to be blasted by one of her brother's spells.

Darkness enveloped her, as she crashed down the stairs, she stumbled more than once, the pressure of the blackness squeezed her back, pushing her down, paralyzing her nerves with fear.

She was partially aware her brother was still at the door, fending for himself. Serene was aware that his slight frame was shaking, with fear or with the strain of the magic he tried to cast.

Then something went wrong.

He had finally hit the intruder, but at same time, he charged at it, using momentum to boost the power of his last bolt of light.

Blood blossomed in the air as he collided with the hooded figure. It seemed to come out of his chest, as the blast of light hit them both. Its hood fell off, to reveal long silver hair billowing in the night air.

Serene saw her face. Bloodless, and as pale as the moon itself. Her silver pupils glinted with the uncanny sharpness of a steel blade. In that split second they made eye contact, the stranger seemed to phase through her brother's falling form, so fast that it seemed like she teleported right through him. Serene saw the stranger smile as her brother split into two.

It was so fast even her brother gasped in shock after his heart stopped beating. Serene saw the two long black wings, as dark as an abyss but even less forgiving. She lost all senses as they folded around her.

The Grim Angel said something in the language of Asgard.

"What a lovely moon!" and she laughed.


	3. Chapter 3

In the village of the sprites

Ein checked and double checked on his small orchard of applecots, but it seemed that the trees have all been picked clean. Groaning, he set down the basket and headed back to Lina and Fia's place. On the journey back, he began imagining their reactions to his bad news. Lina would start bawling about the small quantities of applecots, saying things like that would never fill her stomach, much less fill a cake. While Fia would look disappointed but still try to make the best of the situation, comfort Lina and improvise with what ever she had. Then Cierra would pop by and experiment with her new spell to see if the applecots could by enlarged or something, while Serene…

"Ah-" whump! He tripped over a particularly gnarled root. Despite Lina's confidences, he was sure that at least some of the trees in the grove were alive. Perhaps just the one. According to Cierra it was possible that trees were enchanted to trip up the unsuspecting guest. It was a feeble attempt at keeping out intruders. "But effective, ow…"

Lina and Fia's house wasn't far now. He thought to check on Serene, since he was on her turf. Venturing away from the main path to a small glen in the midst of several lanky trees, he found her small shack docked up high in an oak.

"Serene! You up yet?" he called, words echoing in the vast clearing. A few wild birds flew off in fright but Serene did not emerge. Worried, Ein climbed up a ladder dangling by the side of her small shack. He climbed onto a narrow ledge and walked along the trunk until he reached her front door.

"Serene!" he knocked and the rough wood. Her treetop-home was constructed the night they first returned from their adventure on Rosalina Island. It was the home that was taken away from her. The three of them spent hours gathering wood from fallen branches and scavenging for whatever they could find to build it up for her, just so that it would mean something, just so she could think of it as a place warm and dear to her rather than as a shack.

She's taking too long to respond. Ein thought. He called several more times, after the fourth time he began banging on the door in a blind panic. She wouldn't take so long. She always responds immediately. What happened? These thoughts passed through his head, but he paid them no heed.

Eventually he started body-slamming the door, until the brass hinges gave way and the door collapsed into her home. "Serene!" his voice echoed in the round room. The table had not yet been set for breakfast, Serene's usually warm room felt…cold.

There was a thrashing sound coming from her bedroom. Ein thought it would be imprudent to enter without knocking first, but knocking hadn't really done him much good recently.

He gently twisted the knob and pushed open the door as quietly as he could, maneuvering around pieces of cloth strewn on the floor. Serene was still asleep, but her brow was crumpled into her signature frown, as if she were disagreeing with somebody.

Then she began to scream.

_Bodies covered every square inch of the village._

_Serene lay face down on the bricks, waiting for the white reaper to tear her body apart just like she had seen her brother fall in two halves in the tower._

_But she never came after Serene._

_Why?_

_She's asked that question far too many times recently._

_Serene looked at the moon. Why?_

_She heard the laughter of little children, turn into the screams of grown men. The dancing Arcs slowly fell from the sky as if pulled down by an unseen force._

_She saw someone smile._

_Serene swore to never forget that face._

"_I will kill you."_

"Serene!"

Serene lashed out and hit something hard with the back of her fist. She withdrew her tender hand, wishing she had at least used a guard first before striking out at the unknown intruder. She drew in a sharp breath and scanned her room for the intruder.

The 'intruder' was lying on the floor for the second time that day, rubbing his collarbone wincingly. "How's your fist feeling?" Ein asked amiably from somewhere beneath her. Serene climbed out of bed and helped him up.

"I'm sorry! I just thought…"Serene faltered

Ein patted her on the head consolingly. "It's fine, I don't think I broke anything. Besides, this is the kind of stuff I had been trained to take back home." Serene felt her face burning up, how can I forget? Ein was a Grim Angel, a completely different league from the Arcs of Rosalina Island. In the past, he would tell them stories about his home, how his training was carried out, and his part in the Dark Days.

They were from different worlds, that may be true, but Ein always had a way to comfort her in times like these. He has to be way older than he looks, Serene thought. In some ways he reminded her of her brother. My brother…

"I was worried when you didn't get the door just now-" Ein broke off. His eyes took on that far away look he still had sometimes. Serene understood what he was thinking. In the last year, he had lost a trusted companion, and everything he thought he knew had been destroyed. Yet he never stopped fighting for them, even though he was an enemy of Riviera. Serene shivered slightly, remembering how Malice's axe sliced clean through her body that night in the Maze of Shadows, Ein's reaction, and that horrible laughter she kept hearing even after she woke up in the gentle light of Yggdrasil. Sometimes she wondered if Ursula had altered her at all when she was revived. Somehow, she felt more fragile now than she did all her life in her village.

"It's alright." she whispered. Ein nodded mutely.

Soon the reverie was broken by Lina, shouting at them below to get their butts down there. Ein sighed again and hefted himself off the floor. Serene passed him tattered rucksack and gingerly pushed the door open with her fist which still throbbed slightly. Ein climbed down the rope ladder and jumped off the last few rungs, light as a feather. Serene let herself glide down towards them lightly.

"Lina's been calling and calling all morning, but Ein wasn't there! Ein did pick some juicy applecots right?" Lina looked at him expectantly with her big amber eyes, Ein suddenly had a feeling of being looked upon by an eager puppy expecting a treat.

"I picked what I could find" Ein began, Lina interrupted him by peering into his rucksack eagerly. She moaned and pouted when she saw the four applecots barely bigger than her thumb roll around in the rucksack. Ein was about to sigh again but he thought better of it. "C'mon, Fia'll be worried about us"

Lina plodded through the trees, disappointment written all over her frame. Ein shrugged and walked after her with Serene drifting behind.


	4. Chapter 4

**For Two**

"Four Applecots?"

Ein swore the whole roof shook. "That's all I could find" he repeated tiredly.

Rose was louder than he remembered her to be, despite their quality time together in the Asgard Library looking up the war a thousand years ago.

"Well, Gateaux I'm sure we can make a wonderful cake with these Applecots anyway, right Ein?" Cierra practically shone with optimism. "Now, I think I know a spell to make these Applecots bigger, let's see…"

"Hey everyone, Lina's done the batter!" Lina charged into the room, knocking Cierra over in the process. "Oh my!" her spell misfired, causing Fia's sewing to swell up three sizes.

Just then Fia walked out of the kitchen, a bowl of batter in her hands. Taking in the mess, she took a step back, hands firmly on the mixing bowl to prevent further addition to the growing chaos.

"Everybody stop moving!" Fia commanded in a very unFia-like way. "Don't touch anything, just let me…"

Cierra froze in the midst of getting up, teetering dangerously on her left foot. "Oh my!" she toppled over onto Lina. Fia drew in a breath and counted to ten. She was in charge of their reunion party, besides the cake she still had to set up the village square, cater to the other invitees, and repair a stitch in a dress that was now three times too big for her. There was only one thing left to do.

"Cierra, take everyone outside, I left the banners in the backroom, go get it and decorate the village. Serene go and get some firewood for the cooking festival, Lina could you-"

"Aw… Lina wants to do the cake!"

"But-"Fia interjected.

"It's fine I'll do it." Ein cut her off before the ruckus woke up the entire village.

"But, it's your party, you should-"

"It's fine, really" Ein said reassuringly. "I'll go with Serene and pick firewood."

"Hey I never asked you to-" Serene protested, turning the same colour as the applecot.

"Well, you can bring it up again when my legs give way." He joked.

"F-Alright," she consented relucantly.

"Fia seems to want us gone a little to eagerly don't you think?"

Serene grunted in response.

In the shadow of the Grove of Repose Ein crouched on his haunches scouring the ground for anything remotely woody. Serene was high amongst the branches, shaking every other tree for loose limbs. She sighed, and dropped to the ground, walking over to survey his progress.

"These aren't dry enough, and this," she lifted a strange knobbed stick out of the heap, "isn't a branch." She threw the stick aside. It sprang to life and wiggled away, causing both of them to jump. " Other than that, good job so far."

Ein got up and stretched his aching back. "You're really good at this, surviving I mean."

Serene smiled faintly before dropping back into her gloomy state.

"Here," Ein passed her the flask of nectar Fia had given them before chasing them out of the house. He waited until she took a swig from the flask before pressing on. "What happened this morning?"

She nearly choked on the nectar. "It's okay if you don't want to say" he added. "I guess I should respect your boundaries. I'm sorry."

Serene burst out laughing, she moved over to a mossy log and beckoned to him. "What was that? I thought we all agreed you wouldn't be so" she struggled to think of a word, "courtly. Did reading all that history take you back in time or something?" tears of laughter still came rolling down her cheeks. Ein felt a little defensive. "Well, I just thought that-"

"Don't worry about that. It's been a while after all, since we could talk like this in peace. Fine, I'll say it."

Ein raised an eyebrow, but did not stop her.

"This morning, I had, a nightmare" her face grew hot. "about the time when my village, on Rosalina Island was destroyed. Only, even when I thought I wasn't dreaming anymore I couldn't wake up, it's as if that thing that destroyed my home that night had found me, it was really dark, those eyes."

Ein remained silent "You've never talked about this have you?"

The sadness and grief wrought by the creature caught up with her. Her tears of laughter soon melted away and a wrangled scream escaped her throat. "That thing tore my brother in half! He was all I had left. And it just-" Ein put a steady arm around her, "I know."

"How can you? No one is knows about this. Everyone who does is dead!" Serene wailed louder.

"I don't know, I just do."

Serene clung on to his shirt until the last of the sobs died away.

"It was just like tonight, we were having the Festival of the Moon, I had to collect firewood with my brother early in the morning, just after the dew had disappeared."

Serene let go, leaving a relatively large mark on his threadbare shirt. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright," Ein passed her his scarf to clean her face with. "I didn't expect to stay long, or else I would have gotten a new shirt made. The material is meant to withstand the battlefield afterall."

"What's it like up there?" Serene wondered, turning to the sky. The tears and bawling seemed to lighten her heart, but she was never displaying herself like that again.

"Oh, it's about the same." Ein shrugged, turning to her "Just much lonelier."


	5. Chapter 5

**The Harvest Festival**

"Lina wasn't exaggerating." Ein stood up and stared at the biggest pot he had ever seen.

Pure silver and hand-crafted by Chappi's great grand-uncle, as he put it so proudly, the pot stood three metres above his head, mercifully sheltering him from the mid-day sun.

He set down the fireweood and stepped back as Cierra came over with a carefully rehearsed spell.

"Careful now, I don't want to cook all of you." He took another two steps back.

"And release!" the spell was let loose with a flash of red light, casting the sprites in a cherry-like glow. The wood, carefully picked by Serene and himself burst into flames, but not without exuding copious amounts of smoke.

"That's strange." Cierra walked off muttering under her breath, looking for the error in her carefully constructed spell.

Sprites were gathering round, fanning the flames rapidly to disperse the wretched smoke.

"Oh here we go!" Cierra came back and threw a couple of words in. The smoke dissipated immediately, leaving a sweet scent in the air.

The villagers took a moment to admire the dancing flames in awe, before heading off to work on the final decorations.

"Great job Cierra!" Cierra winked and hurried off to set-up the magic guild's booth.

Ein smiled, caught up in fond memories before a voice in the distance called for him, demanding his assistance. With purpose he headed off to help.

Serene found him while he was helping Lina with her Treasure and Trinkets booth.

"Psst. Hey. Lina!"

"What?"Lina's tangerine pigtails swung round and hid Ein in the face.

"Oops sorry Ein!" she smiled apologetically "What do you want Serene?"

"This is important and highly confidential."

"How important?" Lina's eyes brightened with the word"confidential"

Serene looked around, when she was sure no one was looking she said in a voice softer than a whisper, " The cake is done. Fia needs help bringing it out."

"C-C-C-Cake?"Lina practically bounced with excitement. "Oh, oh, this is important! This is very important!"

"Lina better go now! Bye Ein! Bye Serene!"Lina bolted off like lightning.

"I think I should-"Ein began.

"No" Serene cut him off firmly. "This may be a festival for them but it's still a reunion party for you. So as your friend, it is my mission to make sure you rest."

"Some friend" he grinned and let himself be steered away to the farthest end of the square.

The coming of night was welcomed by the plucking of instruments and dancing silhouettes.

"Come on I want to try _everything_!" Serene exclaimed. She grabbed Ein by the hand and whisked the both of them away, manoeuvreing between the spinnning sprites to tables laden heavy with fruits. Left to carry the growing mountain of food as Serene darted about like a hummingbird in a field of flowers.

"Slow down! I don't want to drop anything." he cried as Serene made three somersaults and landed next to him, earning herself a round of applause from onlookers.

"Sorry Ein, But you've got to admit I haven't felt this great in months!" she spun off into the air again.

"Gah!" Ein leapt forward to steady the precious hoard. He almost burst with relief when Serene slipped ever so silently behind him. "Boo." The glorious pillar of food rained down upon them, covering a chortling Serene with candy-coloured fruits.

He gave her a perplexed expression as if to say, "Why make me carry all of this from the beginning?"

"Oh come on Ein its just food." Serene pushed the fruits off the path. "There's always next year." she took off into the air.

"We're just lucky we are in abundance. Besides" Ein tossed a knobbly applecot up to her "The important things are can never be so readily replaced."

Serene considered this for a moment. When a gong resounded, calling the festival to the center of the square.

Graham planted himself right in front of the glowing pot, Ladie at his side as always. Lina and Fia who were already there, beckoned them over.

As they took their places, Graham cleared his throat and began," As the Elder of our humble village, I would like to declare this day, a day of gratitude. Were we not blessed with such individual talents as these, during our darkest times, who is to say we could gather here tonight in celebration of another full harvest?"

"And now the a new generation is upon us, a generation of peace and prosperity for all the races of the land. Land, sea or sky, we have all gathered around pots such as this to celebrate the gifts this noble isle has graced us with."

Sprites streamed in from behind the pot, handing out bowls of stew bubbling with froth.

"Let us partake in the fruits of our toil, and always remember the ones who have sacrificed to provide for this meal."

"Hear hear," the crowd erupted.

"Hear hear," Serene murmured so that only Ein caught it.

"Hey Serene you want any of that?" Lina of course had already finished her soup the moment the bowl reached her hands.

"What? Hey!" Serene lifted the bowl out of Lina's reach. "Sorry, you've already had your fill." She took slurped up half the contents to Lina's horror.

"That's really mean! You're supposed to be thankful for it."

"Well, I am thankful. Thankful that you can't have any of it."

"Gah!" Lina pounced on her. Ein considered intervening when a cloud of smoke caught his attention, followed by a muffled "Oh my." Fia, who had fortunately steered clear of the chaos was savouring each morsel.

A warm furry body on his shoulder snapped him out of reverie.

"Rose! That's my soup!" Rose twitched her ear. "You people forget I need to eat too"

Ein watched dumbly, trying to form a cutting response. "So how are you doing? Back for a week and you've already gone back to sighing like a fiend."

Ein cut off a sigh. "Well I don't have the liberty of slinking off whenever I feel like it. I just-" Rose hopped off his shoulders and let loose a wide yawn. "Well?"

"I'm trying to capture the moment." Rose blinked up at him. "What?" he asked defensively. "I was just wondering how long you planned to outlive them. Not that your stupidity is proportional to your lifespan."

"Am I really alive?" Ein asked. Rose yawned again in response.

"Shhh hey look." The square fell into silence.

As if on cue the clouds parted, revealing a perfectly spherical moon. Glowing as radiant as the sun.

"Ah, what a beautiful moon"

Silence. People looked around them, frantically looking for the voice that disrupted their meditation. "What was that? What did it say?" the questions grew louder in the growing unrest.

"Did you get that too?" Rose inquired. "What?" but he understood, only he could understand it. A dozen scenarios flashed through his mind, each as grim as the next.

It was then he noticed Serene. Frozen, arms stiff with fear, pupils dilating and contracting rapidly.

She dropped her bowl with a shriek of shattered porcelain.

By now people had started pointing, to the shade of the tree, the darkest corner of the square, the shadow of the pot. Flickering back and forth like a candle in a storm.

Serene let out an unintelligible scream, her voice tearing at his heart. Serene, who could stare down ogres twice her size crumbled to the ground under the weight of her terror.

He got in front of her, scouring the skies for whatever could reduce the bravest person he knew to a sobbing wreck.

He felt his heart shrivel up completely when he came face to face with it.

She giggled as if watching a comedy, but her eyes were empty.

"If only the stars shone so brightly in Niflheim, the mist would dry up so the children could go home."

The Salvage giggled to herself.

Author's Note :

I'm sorry for being so slow orz I'm not sure how consistent this is so if anything is weird please let me know.


	6. Chapter 6

**First Tragedy**

"We need to clear the square!" Fia shouted, her usually gentle voice charged with authority. "Ein what should we do?"

Ein had his eyes locked on the shadows where the laughter was still ringing out. "We have to take the battle away from the square," he offered his hand to Serene, "Will you fight?".

Serene held on to his hand, sealing the terror and despair in the deep recesses of her subconscious. "I-I will fight," she drew out her scythe.

"Lina, you and Cierra get the sprites away," Ein eyed the shadows carefully. "I don't know what your purpose is, but you are not welcome here,". He said something else in the ancient tongue which Serene did not understand, she assumed he was repeating the message. She shook her head. "Ein, she can understand us,".

"She-"

Ein was thrown into the air, a streak of red dashed across his clothes. He summoned Einherjar, barely in time to block the next strike. The force of the blow propelled him towards the ground, causing him to land badly a few feet from where he had been standing.

"...An agent..."

The Salvage was silhouetted against the moon, but Serene could recognise that her voice. It was the same voice, the same laughter that haunted her nightmares, the sweet, pure voice of the one who destroyed her home that fateful night...

"...of the gods..."

"Ein get away!" the Salvage was too fast, she charged past Ein, her unseen weapon drawing another red line across his chest.

They would never be able to engage her head-on. There had to be a way, but her movements were too quick, and too unpredictable. Serene thought of the only time she had faced the Salvage, she played the painful memories in her mind, again and again, until she had memorised the Salvage's attack patterns. The answer was obvious.

Serene ran to Ein's side, waiting for the Salvage to strike again. Again, she went through her analysis of her opponent's movements. Firstly, out of the three only Ein had been attacked, it was safe to say that Ein was her target. Next, so far none of her attacks had been fatal, she could have sliced him up had she wanted to, just like her brother. The Salvage was not attacking to kill, at least not yet. Finally-

"Fia you stay by Ein's side! I'll take her on from the air!"

"Serene you can't-"

Serene had greater mobility in the air, and although she was in no way as swift as the Salvage, she was confident that she could hold her off until Ein got back on his feet. "Come on! Let's finish what we started that time!"

The Salvage darted back and forth throughout the sky, flying away from Serene. She dived towards ein again.

Serene swooped in to the intercept her. Her scythe caught hold of her enemy's weapon, a dark, crescent shaped blade on a long shaft, with a long crooked spoke extending from the top, a halberd.

The Salvage tried to twist away, but the two weapons were locked together. Serene held on firm, determined to occupy her combatant for as long as possible. It was only conjecture on her part, but Serene had a distinct feeling that this halberd was the only weapon the Salvage had. She tugged her scythe away, causing the halberd to swing away, far away from the Salvage's reach.

"This is it for you," Serene breathed.

The Salvage kept her transparent eyes on the crook of the scythe, as if calculating her odds of victory against a vengeful armed Arc. Beneath the hood she smiled. Serene guarded, wary of her sudden change. She raised both her arms, parallel to her shoulders, and folded her wings.

"What!?"

The Salvage hurtled to the earth like a meteor, at the last moment she threw them open again, catching enough air to prevent a direct impact with the ground. Without wasting a moment to steady herself, she again charged across the square.

"Fia!"

The green-haired girl barely turned before being whisked off the ground. She was too tossed up like a rag doll, and caught by the wrist, dangling over twenty metres off the ground. Fia attempted to stab with her rapier, but the Salvage simply swung her out of range, before catching her again.

"An agent...of the gods... bound...to the Earth..."

Serene was glad to see Ein back on his feet, despite having a dazed expression on his face. His eyes were burning with determination, and another emotion Serene could not place.

"Her weapon's gone. She can't attack anymore!"

"But now she won't need to attack..."

Fia was struggling against the Salvage's vice-like grip. All the time while shouting, "Use your Overskill Ein! Before she recovers her weapon!" Ein gritted his teeth. His Overskill would be powerful enough to free Fia, however it would also hurt her.

Serene took his hand. "Don't worry about Fia. I won't let this monster take anymore lives,". Serene's fear was gone now, replaced by implacable rage. "She won't be hurting anyone else dear to me."

Their gazes met and an unspoken understanding was formed. "I trust you," Ein whispered.

"Disaresta!"

The great winds gathered, growing into a cyclone that encompassed the square. Tents and tables were lifted off the ground and spun in the great typhoon. The cyclone began to shrink, concentrating around the Salvage and her hostage.

Serene took off twisting and spinning between the flying debris, she had her arm outstretched, she could almost grab Fia's hand-

Ein unleashed the first strike, hitting the Salvage from behind, throwing her hood off to reveal a head of silver-white hair. Serene dodged the attack, just barely. The next one was coming, she had to get Fia away fast, before the constricted air space caused them to collide.

She maneuvered around the spokes of twisting air attacking the Salvage. She reached out again, and with her momentum, she threw the two of them out of the whirlwind.

She put Fia safely on the ground, the both of them panting for air.

Seeing the two escape safely, he slashed at the shrinking cyclone, dealing the deciding blow to the Salvage. The winds dispersed, the Salvage crashed to the ground, covered in wounds from the Overskill.

She lay motionless on the ground.

"Did we do it?" Fia asked in a quavering voice.

"No, something's not right..."

"...return to the Earth..."

By the time she noticed the black blade it was already too late. Serene watched the events unfold in agonising slowness, as if her mind desired to remember every moment of what was about to take place.

The halberd flew straight into Ein, lodging itself securely in his chest. The Salvage was right behind, she grabbed hold of the shaft and tore the weapon across his torso. A glittering object pulled free of the swing, caught in one of her gloved hands. She disappeared, treasure in hand, before Ein fell to the ground, blood gushing out from the chasm in his chest.

Serene felt the world close up around her in a blanket of numb silence. Between Fia's screams and Ein's ragged breaths, all she could hear was the mocking laughter of the one she had sworn to kill.


End file.
